


The Mirror's Reflection

by Nocturnal_Daydreams



Category: Sanders Sides, Thomas Sanders, prinxiety - Fandom
Genre: Angst, Anxiety, Anxiety Attacks, Anxiety Disorder, M/M, Missing Persons, Prinxiety - Freeform, Seizures, debatable multichapter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-16
Updated: 2017-07-19
Packaged: 2018-10-06 04:59:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10326104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nocturnal_Daydreams/pseuds/Nocturnal_Daydreams
Summary: An irritated Anxiety gets subconsciously summoned into Thomas' living room when Thomas starts to panic over a situation. What will happen when the personalities won't come and Thomas' anxiety takes over Anxiety?(please comment whether you want this to be a multichapter fic)





	1. Chapter 1

Seasonal depression was getting the worst of Anxiety. Everything bugged him, a sending to Lily seemed to help but he taunted a lot more than usual even when he knew it was gonna hurt him. Gave off a very cactus vibe.

The group usually gave him his space at this time of year which made sense because he was out to pick a fight with absolutely anyone. It wasn’t to make everyone feel horrible. It was to guilt (so a little bad) them into taking action. The winter slowed them all down and it felt like he was holding this together by himself. He knew it wasn’t true and relaxing wouldn’t have any harm but one year he’d relaxed and Thomas stayed in a not making-things rut until early March. He was not willing to let the metaphorical train stop if it took so long to get started again.

Thomas was having a night alone party and the personalities stayed upstairs drinking eggnog and getting festive. Anxiety had been planning a tour in a black binder with a jolly roger sticker on it when he felt his summons. Partially out of worry, partially to go snark at Thomas for casually summoning him, Anxiety teleported down to Thomas’ stairs.

“You seem safe enough, so what’s up Thomas? Say something wrong?” Anxiety said with a certain bite.

It worried Anxiety when Thomas gave no reaction. He was also wringing his hands.

“I’ve not got a reply.” Thomas finally muttered.

“Okay, but I can feel that from here though, Thomas. I can practically feed off it.” Anxiety laughed humourlessly but smirked.

“I know you don’t, Anx, now’s not the time to be awkward.”

“Been treating me like it.” He hissed as he shrugged.

“And you’ve been acting like it. I get it, you know. All parts of it. The social, the seasonal. I understand. But right now I need you to focus.”

“Focus on what?” He asked, too confused to act snarky.

“On holding off.” Thomas said guiltily. Anxiety had much more panic attacks then Thomas. It usually came either without warning or if Thomas threw caution to the wind. Anxiety visibly reacted, his teeth gritting and eyes widening. Whatever news Thomas had for him was not good and Thomas hoped the suffering of Anxiety might be less if he was not alone and had his walls down. 

It seemed good intentions paved the way to hell as this was not to be.

“What happened?” Anxiety’s smirk dropped to a worried frown as he walked over and sat beside Thomas, taking the laptop.

“Kayleigh isn’t replying but they can’t find Addy.” Thomas replied. Kayleigh was his sister and Addy his niece.

“What do you mean, can’t find her?” Anxiety growled, not at Thomas but in general. Addy was nine going on ten and Anxiety was furious. That’s when a message came through. Anxiety saw it before Thomas did. In the back of his mind Anxiety hoped in seeing it first he could have the attack himself and stop Thomas from having one. He turned to Thomas and exclaimed, “You need to summon someone else, now!”

Anxiety sunk down into the sofa with the laptop as Thomas closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, trying to summon them. He was too tense but he hoped they’d get the message and pull themselves out. After around a minute of extensive mental power wasted Thomas had to give up and give himself time in case of a migraine. He was no use to Addy that way. Anxiety on the other hand had started shaking viciously all over, although he was staying in control enough to be sat up. Not in control enough however to restrain Thomas from coming over and looking at the message. He only had to hope his mind wouldn’t go to the immediate same place.

“3 hours?! Why did they not ask earlier?” Thomas yelled and Anxiety thanked his lucky stars that he was the first line of bad thoughts and defence from Thomas thinking them first.

As Anxiety went into a lack of awareness section of which could best be described as a fit, Thomas saw a second message pop-up. She had been meant to go to a 90 minute extra curricular activity but when she was late home they called and found out that she hadn’t attended in the first place. While face to face he would tell them they didn’t need to explain themselves he was plenty glad that they had. Anxiety’s left shoulder then went into spasms and Thomas’ focus was on him. He had no time to think about the darker side of what could happen in 3 hours which unfortunately was all Anxiety could think about now that he had his awareness back.

At this time it seemed the entire of Thomas’ personalities could feel the dire emotions attached to the situation and summoned themselves. This was going to tire out Thomas when his body caught with his head but adrenaline coursed through keeping him the most awake he had been in months. However, it couldn’t have stood at a better time as Pranks and Prince realised in the state he was in Anxiety’s tongue could easily roll back and choke him so both helped Thomas into putting him in a safe position. Anxiety had plenty of usual panic attacks when Thomas felt really nervous over ordinary things but when a situation arose like this Anxiety’s body took on a physical side to the attack, similar to a fit. This was because the nerve endings of his form couldn’t take it and it was too much to take into one solitary human, never mind a personality. At this point Thomas would have to become the transference.

This was something Anxiety hated. It made him feel so disgustingly horrible. He had to actually hand some pain over instead of just keep it to himself. To Thomas no less. 

Once Anxiety’s stubbornness led to him not giving it to Thomas and Anxiety’s entire body went to shock. On that day they found what happens when Anxiety keeps it all to himself. Thomas got all of it the moment Anxiety lost consciousness and not only was it an immediate pass to go straight to the hospital, Anxiety’s body took some real lasting damage and was out of commission for 2 to 3 weeks, with Logic having to try and think situation-wise as well as be the whole safety line, Anxiety found Thomas in the 3rd week the most randomly injured and embarrassed he had seen Thomas since pre-teen years. It was times like these Anxiety tried to think of Logic apologising and congratulating him and how Thomas told him it was proof of how good he was that on a regular basis he could deal with something so harsh. Prince had said he was heroic but it was a dumbly brave thing to do and not to do it again. Morality, Pranks, Missy, Imag and the rest had come and seen him over time in the 3 weeks and let him know how much they cared. Anxiety did what Anxiety did best - be quick to thank and gloss over it or pretend to be asleep. He held it to his heart in times of true darkness though. 

He hoped Prince wouldn’t think less of him for being so weak but he could hardly move so he needed Thomas’ help in a time like this. He knew Pranks wouldn’t think less of him, as much as Anx tried, Pranks was fairly protective of Anx as he was the one to not only see but remember every minor detail that made Anx the way he was. But Prince did something to surprise Anx, he held his hand, grazed his thumb and yelled over, “Thomas, you need to do it now or Anxi is going to go into shock.” 

That’s when Anxiety saw it. Thomas looked terrified. Anxiety couldn’t blame him, it had been one of the worst fits and attacks he had ever had and sharing the mental thoughts and mental space that caused it would scare any of them. Anxiety was going to try and tell Prince that he’d do it by himself when Prince ushered Thomas over and within a single step had grabbed his hand.

“I know it’s scary Thomas, it’s scary for Anxiety too and we can’t have him hurt again. Plus it will only be worse if you wait. You have to be brave to help Anxiety." Prince assures Thomas in a calm voice and surprisingly it’s the last phrase that gets Thomas moving. Anxiety hopes when the exhaustion takes over his memory won’t fail him.

Thomas grabs Anxi’s hand and wills him to share his pain. Thankfully that made Anxiety’s spasms lessen. What it did do however was transfer into Thomas, who started to shake and rock slightly as the panic attack washed over him. Then in unison, both guys said, “She could be hurt. He’s copying me. Stop it. Stop it!”

“Morality now!” Pranks shouted and both men put a hand over Anxiety’s and Thomas’s mouth.

There was only a handful of times in panic attacks the boys talked in unison and each time it was a sign of what they called ‘a trap door’. The waiting of something dropping and holding onto one another mentally. This meant they had a limited time to calm both boys before the trap door effectively dropped and left both boys incapable of anything and the hospital were to be called. Usually it was Anxiety holding on but they all had seen few times where Thomas’ mental hold would be too much. Logic, Morality and Missy stayed with Thomas while Pranks, Imaj and Prince stayed with Anxiety.

Pranks then pulled the riskiest game he had ever played.

“She’s going to be fine. I know it. She is going to turn up soon with no more than cuts and bruises.” He said in his ‘I took a bet and this is the outcome’ tone. They all looked in shock, no one daring to ask if it had been bet on or if it was a bluff. Then, after considering the fact if they called him out and he had been lying to reassure them the fear would double, they took it all at face value.

With that, Logic came over and handed them a stopwatch so they all checked the breathing and safety. Anxiety snatched it but soon took to the stopwatch like a fish to water, being able to see the numbers they were counting as he breathed to it seemed to soothe him.

Once all was calm they quietly discussed how to reply to the message, all exhausted but soldiering on. That was when another message came through.

‘We found her!’

“Now’s the time to call.” Logic told him.

“Don’t call.” Anxiety moaned.

“Of all things, now you’re going to pull out ‘it could go wrong’?” Asked Prince, slightly annoyed. For a moment he stops rubbing Anxiety’s back.

“No. It could but screw that, we need closure. I meant they might need us there at the house. Kayleigh has probably panicked more than us, same with Andrew. They shouldn’t have to be the adults at the moment.“ There was a moment of shocked silence and Anxiety grumbled some incoherent words and shifted a little to get Prince to start rubbing his back again.

Prince softly smiled and rolled his eyes then responded, “No matter how unusual that was you have a point. But we can’t say that they’re at the house for certain. Call them.”

That was all the incentive Thomas needed.

Suspense held the entire call and while Thomas visibly calmed the words 'the hospital’ were mentioned. After a couple of minutes he said, “I’ll come right over… Oh you don’t? Oh, that’s good. Are you sure everything’s fine? Well I’ll definitely drop by the house tomorrow. I was so worried. Yeah I’ll be fine …… Yeah I did. I’ll be okay. Thank you Andrew. Yeah, I’ll see ya soon. Bye.”

“Well..?” Missy asked.

“Addy was out playing with her mates after her activity was cancelled when she fell over playing football and twisted her ankle. It’s sprained but not broken but Addy’s phone broke so they called an ambulance. The paramedics called one of the kids parents to pick them up and get Andrew and Kayleigh’s number. They’re taking her home now. We’ll go over tomorrow.” He explained with a tired smile.

In an instant they all visibly relaxed.

“Right. Bed time for all of us now then.” Morality told them very dad-like then wiped himself down and got Thomas to get on his back and piggyback him to his bed. All apart from Anxiety, Prince and Pranks sunk back.

“You’re too tired to do it, aren’t you?”

“No.” He defended childishly before mumbling, “Yeah.”

Prince scooped him into his arms and turned to Pranks, “I need you to do my drama pose.”

Pranks despite all that happened, laughed, “Are you joking? I can hold Anx if you need.”

“No. Never mind.” Prince moaned dramatically and began syncing, then Pranks finally did the pose and Prince grinned.


	2. When you're falling in a forest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Anxiety recovers in the commons the topic of how he became how he is comes into conversation - Anxiety wasn't always this way right?

By the time they sync down and land in the commons Anxiety is asleep, curling into Prince’s neck. Prince’s head rested upon Anxiety’s and he sat on a sofa. They all did this a lot more as kids although while Prince craved it, it meant a lot less. Now whether or not he was asleep, Anxiety cuddled with all his soul into it.

They all sat with hot chocolate and talked a while over stuff while Thomas and Anxiety slept. 

“Something’s on your mind Prince.” Logic said simply.

“When did Anxiety change and how didn’t we see it coming.”

“One of us noticed it happening.”

“Morality, don’t try and …”

“Not him, Prince. I did.” Prince turned to look at Pranks who had a sad smile upon his face.

Prince, fiery personality that he is, went into accusation mode, “Well then why didn’t you stop it, he suffers so much and he’s so worried and he pushes us all to the side when he gets edgy and he didn’t used to.”

“Don’t you dare put that on me, Roman.” Pranks snapped. Two levels left them speechless, considering Pranks made the nicknames he never called them by their original names and Pranks never lost his temper. On he continued, “I did what I could. Luck and support will only get you so far.” 

Prince immediately shut his mouth.

Anxiety once used to be the typical worried child in any kids’ adventure film. Willing to do stuff but the first to pipe up that they shouldn’t.

To everyone’s defence it started off small.

In middle to high school the pressure and the homework built and it began to be test season.

After a handful of hours of homework, 3 tests and a coursework in one week everyone decided to have a day off… By going to a party where they knew virtually no one. One of Anx’s least favourite things of all time.He worried and argued and complained when he found out. Pranks was inclined to agree with Anx as he thought it was a lot for the poor kid.

It was all too much for Anxiety who as it got closer had a panic attack to which Morality brought him down and a while later when he felt in his own skin again Anxiety clung to him and sobbed. This broke Morality’s heart, he held him close and let him let it all out.

“I’m sorry.” Morality said after a long time.

“Huh?” Anx sniffled.

“I didn’t realise how much this was upsetting you. I’m sorry.” 

Anx rubbed his eyes and sighed heavily, “I know. There’s nothing to be done for it.”

“Let’s ask Prank’s huh? Maybe we can luck out at the last second.”

Off they went and found Pranks ten minutes later setting up a glitter pouch for people to open.

“I’m being summoned but you go to him, okay?” Morality urged before syncing out and Anx walked up, still rubbing his eyes.

Prank’s usual smile dropped into sad concern.

“You’ve been crying.” He stated simply and Anx’s nodded silently. With a sigh he patted the chair next to him and Anxiety sat beside him.

“I don’t want to go.”

“I know.”

“I don’t know what to do.”

“I know.”

“I need your help.”

“How?”

“I need some luck. For us not to go out or so I don’t have to think about it.”

Pranks thought a long while before replying quietly, “No.”

“Please.”

“Anxiety. It’s best for everyone if I don’t. If we don’t go they’ll want to go again. If you’re given it you’ll worry anyway and the world has it’s own luck. If it’s gonna go wrong that’s just gonna happen. And honestly, they need to recognise that you need time out a lot more than you say.” Pranks tells him straight. This was not what he wanted to hear and put his head in his hands. Pranks soothed him before checking the odds for the night and making Anxiety some saffron tea.

Either fortunately or unfortunately the party was a hit. They saw a lot of people, they all had a lot of fun including Anx after the saffron tea calmed him and it turned out it was what they had all needed for the day.

This however opened a gate that lead to Anx’s severe changes. Everyone felt despite Anxiety’s and Prank’s arguments to the contrary some socialisation after a particularly heavy day or week was all they needed. Morality seemed convinced the party did well but was more inclined to give Anx a few more rests, feeling like a father to him.

A great problem with arguing to the contrary was despite being the first to say ‘this is a problem’ he as a younger person was not very good at convincing others and was even worse at sticking to his guns.

The spiral’s became worse. Anx became angry a lot of the time because he wasn’t being listened to and was overworking a ton. Still, when Prince would smile at a particularly good job done by Thomas Anx’s heart would melt a little knowing the planning had gone well. When Logic would come for folder and plannings sleepovers he’d feel a little better. When Missy helped him with his make up and Imaj played with him he’d feel almost himself. When Pranks and Morality soothed him he felt okay. When Thomas recognised the work was due to Anx he felt accomplished even.

But these were coming fewer and far between. Anx was almost always working and while everyone was feeling the pressure of the essay season and overworking themselves to the bone Anx hadn’t slept in weeks, had constant twiched and plenty of panic attacks which as time went on he hid more from people so they could get more done and was in such a mood that he didn’t want to be near others and others didn’t want to be near him in the worst of it.

Pranks could see it all but couldn’t be back enough to help a lot. He had to play the odds and really help with trying to get them the best results. Between essays Thomas would like to talk to friends or do things which meant the rest had a good experience where Anxiety was like a runaway train. Telling him the ways it could go wrong. Thomas pointing out happily when it went right started a trend that no one foresaw becoming a consistent thing of Anx pointing out smugly when things went wrong. 

Finally he did something he never saw himself doing. He told off Prince.

The person he was most drived to impress for. The peron his heart fluttered when he saw. The one with the biggest ideas and he least wanted to disappoint. They lightly debated and argued sometimes while younger but it was mid way through test season at a coffee shop where Anxiety’s nerve finally broke and he snarled at the man he liked, “No. We are not doing that.”

“But we always join the upcoming play.”

“Not this year. Not now. Maybe not ever again!” Anxiety hissed and they had a passionate argument about how it brought Thomas joy but they didn’t have time and they couldnt memorise everything as well as the tests, well the tests didn’t matter as much if Thomas wanted to be an actor, of course they mattered. The build up escalated until they were yelling at each other and Thomas was aggressively colouring in a therapy art book someone had got him.

Finally Anx slammed his door and threw his pillow across the room and then walked after it to throw it again to let some tension out. A couple of hours later Logic turned up with pancakes.

“Salutations. I’m here for our sleepover. I brought sustanance. I noticed you had not ate and decided to bring it with me.”

“Morality?” Anx’s face held the ghost of a smirk smile which calmed Logic down abit. God help Logic, he tried and he had plenty of emotion, as much as the rest but he didn’t know how to help very well. He would often ask the others what he should do if he had a problem that involved people pleasing.

“Pranks. Morality is in with Prince. He’s being very dramatic.” Logic sighed.

“Pfft, charming.” Anxiety scoffed.

“You’re being dramatic too.” Logic stated matter of factly. It seemed to mean a lot more knowing Logic didn’t know that you sometimes shouldn’t say that.

Anxiety’s sass seemed to deflate at it and he nodded, “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. You should eat though. Missy asked a question that I realise I hadn’t thought about.”

“What?” 

“When was the last time I saw you actually eat.” Logic replied. Anxiety’s eyes widened and he gawped a little, trying to look anywhere but Logic’s eyes. Then he took the plate and ate a bite. He hadn’t meant to miss food he was simply too busy but once he had began to fill his stomach he began to rationalise things again. He was still more moodier, irritable and panicked than Anxiety used to be but the behaviour had began to be natural to him. He realised the way he’d spoke to Prince was off the handle however so he decided to apologise after food.

Prince had had the same idea and was just outside Anxiety’s door.Both boys gave a sincere sorry to one another and then immediately went to debating about things in a much more friendly way. Neither pointed out that the other was blushing.

It was not long later after that, that Anx had the panic attack that left them in hospital. A particularly not nice teacher had laid into Thomas hard about his future which was a sore spot for every one of them. Then he got the news his grades weren’t as good as expected and the family dog was ill. Tyro the dog was usually Anxiety’s saving grace in time of need and he hadn’t learnt to not say when he thought the worst might have happened so he had yelled, “Tyro might be dead.” 

When he did.everyone hyperfocused.and whether or not Tyro would be dead. He started to panic.and hyperventilate. So he walked into the commons to find Logic and uttered, “Help me.”

It was like Anxiety couldn’t speak. He couldn’t speak, he couldn’t breath, he couldn’t control his limbs, he couldn’t make a damn sound. He just wanted to scream.

And then began screaming with the pain. His panic attack kicked in.and almost immediately hit fit stage, his whole mind was fried. He simply screamed and yelled and the others suggested things but Anx no longer had control over his limbs. They quickly sank down and told him to have contact with Thomas to which Anxiety prompytly tried to crawl away.Thomas was in the late stages of a bad panic attack and Anxiety was avoiding touching Thomas like the plague. He had heard he had to hurt Thomas and he wasn’t willing. He wasn’t, he wasn’t, he wasn’t..

Anxiety’s eyes rolled back and he slumped unconcious. At the same moment Thomas started to lose control of body functions and trying very hard he sent a text saying 10RS to his best friend which had been a code including the richter scale; the higher the worse. They could only assume his best friend did his job contacting the hospital as they woke in a hospital bed with concerned faces.

Back in Thomas’ mind Anxiety was in effectively his own hospital bed with Missy looking after him. They had been furious when they all attempted to mollycoddle the guy and demanded they all leave until Anx was ready to recieve visitors. They had expected some upside considering it was Missy but they got none so promptly did as told.

A part of Anx stayed closed after that, any optimism easily persuaded onto him before became a task and while he still did everything he did with them before (although a lot less frequently) he didn’t open up as before. He couldn’t be sure they liked him cos he wasn’t sure he liked himself.

Everyone remembered things minisculey differently as a group will tend to do but no one could deny Anxiety changed from that day for worse in some ways, for better in others. They loved him in their different ways all the same.

He made sure he’d never ask himself if he ever let them know it was too much again.

When he woke up two days later, he made everyone pancakes and thanked them before sitting cross-legged on the coffee table with a blanket wrapped around him watching mind numbing tv.


	3. Chapter 3: Modesty isn't Regal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After 2 days of rest Anx is up and about but definitely not on 100% - this is a sorta cutey section, more plot next chapter but I liked writing the nice calmness

After several hours of curling up in a blanket, watching tv, Anxiety gets up and Missy hands him a glass of water. He downed it like a shot and did some stretches. Missy wiped down non-existent dirt off their long shirt and joined in the stretches for fun. A ghost of smile played on his lips and he looked away. His eyes connected with Prince’s and as much as he blushed he felt he couldn’t look away. Then Prince blushed and Anxiety wanted to say something. Anything. But he couldn’t. His mouth had felt like a still section hanging off of him. He felt sorta useless.

Then Missy coughed. Quite deliberately people might add.

“Maybe you should go see Thomas, Anx. Logic and Dad have been in control for the two days you’ve been away.“

Anxiety finally pried his eyes away from Prince and groaned, hands cupping his face. Unknown to Anx, Prince had stood and was ready to come over to check on him when Anxiety dropped his hands and looking to the opposite diagonal direction shouted.

“Where is Thomas now?” 

“…At home.” Came the gradual return of Dad’s voice and Prince instantly sat back down. This was much to Imaj’s amusement until Prince stole some of his sweets.

“Right. Step away from the controller and come back to the commons. I’m going down.” He responded.

He heard them close the door behind them and with a few additional stretches with Missy he syncs down.

Thomas is in the kitchen looking for breakfast when he comes through to the world and Anxiety can feel the subtle rush off the world but shrugs it off. It’s all a little slower in the mind-scape but they’ve always known that.

Anxiety is a little scared of touching Thomas, always seems to be when one happens and he tries to push the thought to the side. 

Anx knocks on the fridge door and Thomas is about to accidentally slam the fridge door closed with his head still in the way when Anxiety pulls him out the way. He realised nothing big or scary happens to either of them when he touches Thomas but it’s something he always feels like he has to relearn whenever it happens. 

“Wooah..“ Thomas jumps and he takes half a second, "Oh, hi, Anx. Are you feeling better?”

“Enough to concern myself with your injuries, yes.”

“Oh. This one was a lot better than the last.” Thomas chirps up but Anxiety feels he is only trying to defend Mo and Lo’s attempts.

“I can see that by the lack of black eye this time. But I suppose if they’re better at the job and you don’t want me around.” Anxiety tried to turn away.

“No! We need you.” Thomas reached out and without warning Anx turned around and grabbed his hand by his wrist and examined his arm then flipped it so his palm was showing.

He had grazes over his palm from where he had fallen over a few times. He sighed and looked over to the first aid drawer, an evident downwards turn on the corner of his lips but not yet a frown. Not spotting Prince syncing in behind him.

“We want you too, Sunshine.” He spoke softly as to not make Anx too scared by the shock. He jumped but only a little and a smile appeared on his face when he finally clicked what Prince said.

However he did take a moment then respond, “Really? …I mean,… I .. I don’t need to be wanted..Pfft….”

He had trailed off, which was clear as Prince waited for Anxiety to stop before responding. Prince spoke up, “Of course we want you, Sunshine. He said need cos he’s had substitutes in charge. We want and need you obviously.” 

Anxiety kept his head down and looked through the first aid kit but both Thomas and Prince could see that Anx was blushing all over his face with a smile. For the case of looking a semblance of how he usually looked he forced a shrug and mumbled something incoherent which Prince did not have to hear to know that it was also some silly denial. He maintained his sincere smile as Anx dared to quickly glance at it and shuffled a bit more mumbling off a ‘thanks’. Their eyes connected more than once but never for longer than half a second.

Thomas honestly felt he shouldn’t be around but there was no real option there. So he went with finding it amusing.

Anxiety made quick work of cleaning and applying moisturiser to a few of his grazes and handed him a few plasters insisting if he was going outside, put them on. Prince had taken the opportunity to get some Lucky Charms and sit eating dry ones by the spoonful. When Anxiety noticed Thomas holding back a snicker he looked behind him a little worried but when he saw it, he smirked. While Prince’s spoon was up, Anx grabbed a handful and handed some to Thomas before jumping up and joining Prince on the counter. After a few seconds of shock passed Prince finally shrugged and continued eating. Both Thomas and Prince pretended not to notice Anxiety visibly relax to Prince not reacting. Laying down the spoon Prince still managed to eat regally as he ate one by one and offered the others some. Soon the bowl was finished.

Knowing Anx would not react well to being touched when he wasn’t expecting it Prince placed his hand far enough as so not to touch but close enough to show Anx he was there and wanted to help. Or so he hoped he would get the intended message.

Thomas spoke first, “She’s okay, you know. You want to see a photo?”

Anxiety nodded enthusiastically. Both Prince and Anxiety got down and looked at the photo. The young 11 year old was sat with a bandaged ankle and obviously faking a dramatic faint. All 3 of them laughed softly at the photo.

"She gets that from us.” Thomas smiled, obviously relaxed by knowing she was okay. Prince noticed that it’s Anxiety who relaxes first but he keeps that to himself.

“You lot are being too nice.”

“We’ve all been unfair on each other recently and I thought I’d be the bigger person and be lovely.”

“Of course you’re the bigger person, on that high horse.”

“That’s the challenging fool that I know.” Prince laughs.

“Oh yeah, I’m the challenging fool?” Anxiety retorts and both men stand both pigeon-chesting, arguing with their eyes. Their manners are mirrored yet it had been the first stance they had mirrored on.

Anxiety was the first to back down slightly and both Thomas and Prince looked concerned at him realising while well enough to check on Thomas he wasn’t 100% yet. He muttered on about a tour and Prince gently and slowly took his hand, making sure Anx could see and sense the hand coming to meet his with time to refuse it.

“Talk about such a damsel in distress. And he doesn’t make himself better with talk of work. A while ago now I found myself realising Anx is far from a villain… and a lot like we knew he was as we were children and then instantly I’m thrown into being this carer. Good thing I enjoy helping people.” Prince rambles, half groaning with Anxiety leaning on him tiredly.

“Modest, aren’t we?” Thomas laughed.

“I know but modesty is unbecoming of me. He’s right about tour. But not yet.” Prince prepares to sync out with Anxiety then adds in half a yell, “And eat a proper dinner!”

Anx nods and both Thomas and Prince laugh as Prince and Anxiety sync out back into the commons where the group take turns making sure Anxiety isn’t feeling worse.


End file.
